Hello Joe, Bob, & fellow motorheads,
This discussion reminded me of a recent column by the famous Magliozzi
brothers, Tom and Ray, who were responding to a question from a woman
whose boyfriend (?) recommended such shifting to `save the clutch'.
They responded to the effect that he was saving the clutch at the ex-
pense of the transmission.
Bob wrote:
>
>If the car is rolling and you get the revs correct, you don't really need
>the clutch. I'm not saying that everybody should do this, it's just that
>after driving the car for 80000 miles or so, you get a feeling for which
>gear and revs combination applies for a given situation.
>
>I do this with all my manual transmission cars.
>
>I think this is why my freinds only rarely let me drive their cars! ;-)
Especially if they, too, read Tom and Ray ! 8*)
Although, IF you get the revs correct, it does work.
>
>Nope. I rarely make the gears clash or anything. Surprisingly, it is very
>easy to get a car to shift sans clutch. You just have to force yourself
>not to try to force the gearshift lever!
>
>crunch, crunch,
>rml
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had heard this works, and was forced to learn it late one night after a
funny zzzz,clank revealed that my clutch release (throw-out) bearing had
seized, and snapped off the release rod in the process. I was miles from
home, of course, but since I could take the back-roads home, running most
of the stop-signs (hey, it was 4:AM), I just wound up the engine to nor-
mal shift rpm (2500-3000) and, using my right boot-toe, moved the shifter
lever, after backing off the throttle slightly. The gear changed nicely,
no grinding or clashing to speak of. Down-shifting was harder, as the
shift was accomplished as the engine approached idle speed, right toe
pressed lightly against gearshift, then pushed into gear just as the
throttle was sped up a few hundred rpm. On this first instance, I got
within about 5 miles of home before slowing too much to cross some really
rough rail-road tracks, where I stalled the engine, and had to push the
Triumph home - up a slight grade, much of the way. But then, I was a good
deal younger and stronger then, and the Triumph was a 750cc Trident motor-
cycle, '74 model. 8*) I had to do the same sort of shifting some years
later, when a clutch cable on the 650cc Tiger (TR-6 R) broke. It was even
easier on that bike, a '69 with the 4-speed trans.
I must confess here that I've never tried no-clutch shifting in a car.
I'll take your word for it !
Best regards,
Tom Tweed
SW Ohio
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